Poetry: Ant Trail (2005)

A dotted black line
Moves across the wall
The inevitable march of progress
Order in plain sight
Given shape and form

Each dot has its purpose
They’re part of a greater whole
There is no revolution
No need to stand apart
They all know their place

It’s not conformity
If you don’t feel the need
For personality
Give up your selfishness
And longings for
Immortality
You have your purpose
You are the point
Society doesn’t need you
To act out against it
For it to control you

There are two really cool ideas in this poem, that I’d like to point out. First, there’s this idea that conformity isn’t inherently bad. People need social groups, and social groups require a degree of conformity. I have no comment on conformity on an enormous scale, like politics, religion, or society in general.

The other thought that I think is cool is the idea that you don’t have to conform to be controlled. Rebellion can be (and is) just another kind of conformity. One can conform and have personality, and one can rebel and still be a featureless drone. I have a unique personality that will disappear from the world when I am gone.